The political extremist known as Carlos the Jackal is due to appear at a French court for a deadly 1974 attack at a Paris shopping arcade, a trial that victims' families have been awaiting for decades.

The Mind, Body, Spirit and Yoga Festival in the RDS runs this weekend and offers the chance to discover the latest techniques in self-development and life-enhancing positive psychology with 75 talks by top Irish and international experts. 

Now Or Never had young trainer Michael O’Callaghan dreaming big after she ran out a most impressive winner of the Topaz Fillies’ Maiden, last night at Galway.

Having made such a good impression on his return, in a maiden hurdle at Sligo recently, Long Dog should take a world of beating in the opening Topaz Novice Hurdle on day two of the Galway Festival.

Chez Azur, 1 Dock Road, Galway; tel: 091-564477; facebook.com/chezazurgalway

The late Con Houlihan had “an extraordinary pride of place”.

Funny that the man who told me that irreverence was a good foundation for journalism is now accorded the sort of reverence more in keeping with pop stars and the Pope than pensmiths.

NOBODY goes to Paris unprepared.

The medieval streets of Galway city are being officially rebranded in a tourist drive which industry experts are looking to adopt in towns and cities around the country, it emerged today.

HOW THE mighty have fallen. New York Giants star Plaxico Burress, who caught the winning touchdown pass in last year’s Superbowl, will not play for the Giants for the rest of the season, having shot himself in the foot.

Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and other French cities today in what was expected to be the biggest show of anger yet at a jobs plan that has led to violence in the streets and threatens to weaken the government.

French police clashed with youths protesting a government jobs plan yesterday in an hours-long melee in the French capital that left nine officers injured, one hit in the face with a paving stone, officials said.

Thousands of police guarded the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and train stations, as part of emergency measures enacted in response to text messages and Internet postings that called for “violent actions” in Paris.

Hurricane Ivan slammed ashore in the US early today with winds of 130 mph, packing deadly tornadoes and a powerful punch of waves and rain that threatened to swamp communities from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

FUNNY that the man who told me that irreverence was a good foundation for journalism is now accorded the sort of reverence more in keeping with pop stars and the pope than pensmiths.